Non-Resident Capital Gains Tax on UK Property (2026/27)
Last updated 23 June 2026 · 11 min read · By the LandlordTaxAi Editorial Team
The short answer
If you live abroad and sell UK property, you pay Non-Resident CGT at 18% and 24% on residential property, after the £3,000 allowance. You can usually rebase to the April 2015 value (residential) or April 2019 value (commercial) so only later growth is taxed. Crucially, you must file a 60-day report even if there is no tax to pay.
Non-Resident Capital Gains Tax (often shortened to NRCGT) catches a lot of expats and overseas investors off guard — particularly the duty to report a sale within 60 days even when no tax is owed. This guide explains who is caught, how the gain is calculated using the rebasing rules, the rate you pay, and the temporary non-residence trap. To sanity-check a residential figure, use our free CGT calculator with your rebased value as the purchase price.
Who is caught by NRCGT
The charge has widened over the years. Here is the timeline that still governs how your gain is worked out today:
| From | What became taxable for non-residents |
|---|---|
| 6 April 2015 | UK residential property — default base cost is the 5 April 2015 value |
| 6 April 2019 | All UK land, including commercial property — default base cost is the 5 April 2019 value |
| 6 April 2019 | Indirect disposals — selling shares in a UK “property-rich” company (broadly a 25%+ interest) |
The 60-day report applies even with no tax
This is the single most expensive mistake non-residents make. A UK resident only has to file the 60-day return when tax is due. A non-resident must file for every disposal of UK land — within 60 days of completion — even where there is no gain, a loss, or no tax to pay.
Don’t skip it:HMRC issues automatic late-filing penalties for a missed NRCGT return regardless of whether tax was owed. If you sold a UK property while living abroad and didn’t report it, file as soon as possible to limit the penalties.
Free calculator · no sign-up
Capital Gains Tax calculator
Estimate the CGT on your property sale for 2026/27
Result
- Total gain
- £66,000
- Less annual exempt amount
- − £3,000
- Taxable gain
- £63,000
- CGT at 24%
- £15,120
- Net proceeds after CGT
- £50,880
Estimate based on verified 2026/27 UK rates. Informational only — not personal tax advice.
Check a residential NRCGT figure
Enter your rebased (April 2015) value as the purchase price and your sale price — the calculator handles the 18%/24% split and your allowance.
Open the free CGT calculatorThree ways to calculate the gain — pick the lowest
For property you owned before the relevant rebasing date, HMRC lets you choose the method that produces the smallest gain:
- 1
Rebasing (default): use the market value at 5 April 2015 for residential (or 5 April 2019 for commercial) as your base cost, so only growth since then is taxed.
- 2
Time-apportionment: work out the whole gain over the entire ownership period, then tax only the portion falling after the rebasing date.
- 3
Full historic cost election: elect to use the original purchase price over the whole period — useful where the property fell in value after the rebasing date, creating an allowable loss.
A full worked example
Aisha moved to Dubai in 2018 and is non-UK resident. She sells a London flat she bought in 2009. Its value at 5 April 2015 was £350,000; she sells for £430,000. She uses the default rebasing method.
| Sale price | £430,000 |
| Less: 5 April 2015 rebased value | − £350,000 |
| Less: selling costs | − £7,000 |
| Gain | £73,000 |
| Less: annual exempt amount | − £3,000 |
| Taxable gain | £70,000 |
| CGT at 24% (no UK income using the band) | £16,800 |
Only the £80,000 of growth since April 2015 is in scope — the gain from 2009 to 2015 is ignored thanks to rebasing. Aisha must file her NRCGT return and pay within 60 days of completion. If part of her gain fell within an unused basic-rate band it would be taxed at 18%, but here we have assumed she has no UK income to absorb it.
Frequently asked questions
Do non-residents pay Capital Gains Tax on UK property?
Yes. Since April 2015 non-residents have paid CGT on disposals of UK residential property, and since April 2019 the charge was extended to all UK land — including commercial property — and to indirect disposals of UK 'property-rich' companies. The rates match those for UK residents: 18% and 24% on residential property after the £3,000 annual exempt amount for 2026/27.
Do I have to report the sale if I made no gain or a loss?
Yes — and this is the trap. Unlike UK residents, a non-resident must file a Non-Resident CGT return within 60 days of completion for every disposal of UK land, even if there is no tax to pay, no gain, or a loss. Missing the 60-day deadline triggers automatic penalties regardless of whether any tax was due. Always file the report.
How is the gain calculated for a non-resident?
You can usually choose the most favourable of three methods. The default is 'rebasing': for residential property you use the market value at 5 April 2015 as your base cost (or 5 April 2019 for non-residential property), so only the growth since then is taxed. Alternatively you can use time-apportionment, or elect to use the original full historic cost. You pick whichever gives the lowest gain, provided you have the right valuations.
What rate of CGT does a non-resident pay?
The same as a UK resident. Residential property gains are taxed at 18% within the basic-rate band and 24% above it. Non-residential and commercial gains are also taxed at 18%/24% following the alignment of the main rates. Non-residents still receive the £3,000 annual exempt amount. Companies pay Corporation Tax on UK property gains instead.
What is the temporary non-residence rule?
If you leave the UK, sell an asset while non-resident, and then return within roughly five years, anti-avoidance rules can pull certain gains back into UK tax in the year you return. This mainly affects assets you owned before leaving. It is designed to stop people taking a short tax-break abroad to avoid CGT, so plan carefully if your time abroad will be brief.
Written and reviewed by the LandlordTaxAi Editorial Team. Our guides are reviewed against current HMRC guidance and updated when the rules change. Operated by LandlordTaxAi, United Kingdom. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Last reviewed: 23 June 2026 · Based on HMRC guidance on Capital Gains Tax for non-residents (including the 2015 and 2019 rebasing rules and the 60-day reporting requirement). Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year. This article is informational only and does not constitute tax advice. Non-resident tax can interact with double-tax treaties — always check the latest details on GOV.UK or with a qualified adviser.